Fruit gatherer



E. R. DOAK FRUIT GATHERER June 30, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 3, 1947 ATTORNEY-S June 30, 1953 E.- R. DOAK 2,643,754

FRUIT GATI-IERER Filed Nov. 3, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN ENTOR.

awfiiw arix " r-nevi E. R. DOAK FRUIT GATHERER June 30, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 3, 1947 INVENTOR.

RESET "m nk .5

E. 1R. DOAK FV'RUIT GATHERER June so, 1953 5 Sheets-Shet 4 Filed Nov. 3, 1947 INVENTOITRV;

ATTORN EYS.

PIIVOTED CHUTE Patented June 30, 1953 ENT OFFICE J 'FRUIT'o THERERT Edmond-R. Doak, Los Angeles, Calif; Application Nove nber 3, 1947, Serial No. 783,722

The present invention relates to apparatus for collecting articles disposed in random positions on: the surfaceof the groundand has particular utility in harvesting fruits and vegetables lying on the surface of the ground. The apparatus may also be useful, for example, to .collectgolf balls randomly distributed in a golf driving range, theseenumerated uses beingexemplary of other fields-where the present invention may findutility.

A principal obiect of the present invention is to provide improved .harvesting apparatus arranged to harvest fruits and vegetables. from the surface .of the ground upon which they may rest after falling from trees, bushes, plants and thelike.

. In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention a vehicular harvester has mounted thereon an endless belt with resilient fingers thereon arranged to cooperate with the ground plane to propel fruit such as prunes along the ground and to then lift themintoa suitable :container. The flexible fingers thatare attached to the belt impart a gentle propelling motion to the fruit as the fingers contact the fruit on the ground, the 'fingers'conti-nue to propel the fruit along the ground due to the belt movement and the forward travel of the vehicle until it reachesan inclined loading platform. The fingers then carry the fruit up the platform to the discharge'chute where stationary fingers intermeshed with the fingerson the movingbelt disengage any fruit that hasbecome lodged between the fingers and the fruit is deposited in a chute for discharge into the container.

It "is not uncommon for a grower of fruits such as prunes, apples and the like to allow such fruits to rot on the ground after they have fallen since the expense encountered in harvesting such fruits from the ground is greater or substantially equal to the profit resulting from the ultimate sale of the fruit. Y

-Furt'her, often times fruits are picked prematurely to avoid excessive loss which would otherwise result from some of the fruit falling onto the ground and in such case the fruit has not been allowed to fully achieve the. increased sugar content which would otherwise be acquired. This is so even though the ultimate sales price of the fruit is based on the sugar contentof the fruit. V I

It-therefore an object of the present inven- .tion to provide harvesting apparatus which may inexpensively and ,eflicientlv harvestfruitelying 2 Claiins- (c1.19s 1 1) on the ground thus preventing waste and allowing the producer to maintain fruit on trees-until'they are sufficiently treeripened to an extent where the sugar content of the fruit is relatively high.

Yet another object of'the present invention is to provide an improved harvester character izedby its simplicity of construction arranged to efficiently gatherfallen fruit from the ground surface without injuring the fruit.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved harvester having resilient .fingers thereon which approach and contact fruit to be .harvestedin such a manner as to propel and lift the fruit without injuring the same.

Yet. another object of the present invention is to provide animprovedx-harvester which requires a. :amount of effort on the part of the attendant.

Still .a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved harvester for harvest-.- ing fruit ofi the-surface 'of the groundieven though the ground may have substantial irregularities initscsurfacei i 'Stillanother. object of the present invention isto-proyide an improved harvester which includes resilient fingers mounted on a belt. arranged to initially propel the fruit and then to raise the same.

Afurther object of the present invention is "to provide an improved harvester which utilizes the-surface of the ground as a support in the pperation of propelling fruit in. a, harvesting operation,

. Still another object of the present invention to provide an improved harvester arranged to gather fruits or vegetables from the surface of the ground without punctin'ing'their outer skins. The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organizationand man-' her of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood'by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in plan elevation of a harvester embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the harvester shown in Figure 1 with the chassis of the harvester held in elevated position and with a portion/thereof fragmented to show an adjuston line 1-1 of Figure 2.

able stop against which the front wheel axle structure normally bears.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line l4 of Figure 1 showing the manner in which the fingers on the endless belt initially propel and elevate fruit.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged portion of the endless belt shown in Figure 4 illustrating the manner in which fruit is usually carried out of contact with the adjacent loadin chute.

3! may be of the conventional split pulley type and may be actuated to and from clutch engaging and clutch disengaging positions from the rear of the vehicle by the manually operable thrust rod 32 which is supported for guided movement on the frame l3 with the forward end thereof pin connected to one end of link 33 which has its other end pin connected to supporting frame l3 with an intermediate point on link 33 pin connected to the clutch actuating rod'34.

It is noted that the m'otion transmitting reduction gear shaft 26 which is journalled for ro- Figure 6 is a pe spec e View Of a portion tation in spaced bearings 35 not only has pulley the chassis elevating mechanism shown in.

Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially Figures 8-1'7 inclusive illus rate various types of resilient fingers and the many different ways in which they may be fastened to the endless belt shown in Figure l. I

Figures 18 and 19 illustrate a modified ,structure embodying the present invention for carrying and unloading filledfruit receptacles on and from the harvester shown in Figure 1.

, Figures 20 and 21 are sectional views similar to the sectional view shown in Figure 4 of other machines.

Figures 22 and 23 illustrate modified structures arranged to hold the-lower end of the loading chute in adjusted position with respect to the ground plane.

Figures 24 and 25 show modified structures for adjusting the heightof the endless belt;

l Figures 26 and 2'? show a modified structure for use as a loading platform.

Figures 28 and 29 show .a modified arrangement wherein the endless belt is used in apparatus for segregating articles according to size.

In accordance with certain features of the present invention the harvester incorporates an endless belt I2. having a plurality of fingers l5 extending outwardly therefrom, is arranged to travel in the path indicated perhaps more clearly in Figure 4 to initially propel fruit along thesurface of the ground and then to raise the fruit-upwardly on a loading platform into a 'suitablereceptacle.

The harvester is a self-propelled vehicle which may be propelled by the front drive wheels l l and steered by the rear steering wheels I4, the wheels II, M being mounted for rotation on the chassis or frame 13 of the vehicle which also has mounted thereon the endless belt 12 in accordance with important features of the present invention. .The drivin wheels II and endless :belt l2 may both be driven bythe internal combustion engine ID. I

The endless belt l2 having the outwardly extending resilient fingers l5 mounted thereon is mounted for guided movementover the rear idler pulley 16, the lower idler pulley l1, and the front driving pulley [8, these pulleys l6, ll, l8 being journaled for rotation in bearings [9, 20,2] respectively. The belt driving pulley 18 has its shaft 22 'journalled in bearings 2| with a pulley 23 thereon to provide a driving connection with the engine ID, such driving connection including as elements thereof: pulley 23, belt 24, pulley 25 mounted on rotatableshaft 26, reduction gear 21 from which output shaft 26 extends, the input shaft 28 of the reduction unit 21, pulley 29 mounted on shaft 28, belt 30 and clutch 3i, to the output shaft of the engine 10. This clutch 25 mounted thereon for transmitting motion to the endless belt l2 in the manner described above through the following connection: extending from pulleys 36, belts 38 passing over pulleys 39, 4D with the pulleys 40 mounted on a portion of the rotatably mounted wheels II. The pulleys 39 .are each rotatably mounted on a correspondingspring pressedthrust rod 4|, in a manner shown in Figure '7, to normally tension the belt 38 to thereby provide a driving connection between pulleys 38 and 40. Such driving connection may be disestablished and established at will at the rear of the vehicle upon operation of the ratchet held manually operable lever 43 which structurally is like the emergency brake hand operated lever on present" day automobiles.

The lever member 43 is pivotally mounted at its'lower end on the frame structure (3 and has pivotally mounted on an intermediate point thereon one end of thrust rod 44, the other end of thrust rod 44 being pin connected to the synchroniz-ing crank member 45 which extends laterally of the vehicle and is journalled on the frame structure [3. The free ends of this synchronizing crank member 45 have pin connected thereto on opposite sides of the vehicle one end of thrust sioning pulleys 39 may be moved synchronously to establish ordisesta'blish a driving connection between the engine It) and driving wheels I 1 upon operation of the manually Operable lever 43 which may beheld in conventional manner in actuated position by engagement of the pivoted pawl 43A with the cooperating ratchet 433 on framework I3; It is apparent that when the upper end of the lever 43 is moved rearwardly the driving connection between engine I0 and wheels H is rendered'inelfective but when the upper end of lever 43 is moved forwardly the spring pressed thrust rod 4! is free to move pulley 39 forward to thereby establish sueh driving connection.

The rod 41 may be spring biased forwardly in many different ways. For example, in Figure 7, the rod 4| may have an enlarged square head 49 slidably' mounted in square tubing 50 which is stationarily mounted on framework 3. The rear end tubin 50 may be rounded to screwthreadedly maintain an adjustable tensioning screw 5! with the compressed compression spring 52 acting bev tween screw 5| and head 49.

The provision of the adjustable tensioning pulley serves another purpose than establishing and disestablishing a driving connection between the engine In and driving wheels, namely, to also establish the desired tension in the driving belt 38 regardless of the position of the vertically adjustable driving wheels ll whose axis of rotation may be raised and lowered with respect to aera'zsa,

its'f supporti-ng framework 1'3 utilizingthe' structuredescribed now.

' Wheels ll -on--each side of the vehicle are rotatably mounted on axles 54 each of which has its ends affixed to free ends of spaced crank members 55 which in turn are aflixed to the laterally extending shaft 56 journalled in bearings 51 on framework 1% whereby the wheel axles the wheels H rest may be adjusted upon adjustment of the position of bolts 59, one ofwhich is on each side of the vehicle. There is another means whereby the height of the framework 13 "may be adjusted with respect to the ground and such means is described immediately below.

The framework l3 or chassis of the vehicle ma beelevated with respect to the ground above its normal position determined by the position of bolt '59'upon rotating the shaft 56 in the direction indicated by the arrow 6| in Figure 2,

the crank elements 62 on each side of the vehicleand mounted on the rotatably mounted shaft 56 being provided for that purpose Each of the crank elements 62 has suitably fastened in turn is pivotally connected on the chassis [3 at each side of the vehicle in such a manner that the chassis l3 may be raised by initially manually pivoting the Ushaped member forwardly to provide an operable gripping connection. between the element 64 and pin 63 and then pivoting the U-shaped mmeber 66 rearwardly' carrying with it the crank 62 thereby causing the forward portionof the chassis to raise. The U-shaped member 56 may be latched in such rearwardly moved position by engagement-of the pivotally mounted latch member 68 thereon with the abutment B9 on the framework 13. This latch member '68 'may be released from its latched position shown in Figure 2 by pulling upwardly on the attached 7 manually operable U-shaped latch bar 10 which fi's slidably mounted on'the supporting member '55 with a tension spring H- pressing the bar 10 downward-1y, spring H having one of its ends connected to the central portion of member 66 and" the other one of its ends attached to latch "bar 10'. v' i The vehicle is steered by orienting synchronously the plane of rotation of each rear wheel i4, and specifically, by turning the steering bar "13 about the axis of its downwardly extending "shaft 14 which is journalled for rotation in the central tubular post 15 of member 66. The lower end of shaft #4 has a crank arm 16 whose motion is imparted, in turn, to the wheels l4 through "the following linkage:-crank arm 16, thrust rod "11-, crank 18 on the upper end of shaft 19 which is rotatably supported on the frame 66, crank on the lower end of shaft 19, universal joint "81 between crank '80 and arm 82, and arm 82 on synchronizing rod 83 having its opposite end 'pivotally connected to'the axle supporting structures 84 which in turn are pivotally connected on "the supporting framework I32 i" The universal joint 81: allows thelpiv'otal movement of the frame member 66 described above in connection with raising of thef'vehicle frame or chassis I3; otherwise such movement would not be permitted since member 66 carries a conside'rable portion of the steering equipment.

'I'hemanner in which articles such as: prunes are harvestedfrom thesurface of'the'ground is perhaps more clearly indicated in- Figure 4.

"The endless belt l2 is, of course ,.moved as a unit in the direction indicated by-the arrow 85 since it is mounted on the vehicle. In addition to the motion indicated by the arrow 85 the belt [2 travels around its pulleys in the direction indicated by the arrows 8 5 and 81 in its path of movement over the idlerjpulleysfli, l1 and-drivi ng pulley l8.

Of importance is the fact that the intermediate pulley IT is so disposed as to cause the fingers l5 on the belt to gradually approach the surface of the ground to initially propel the fruit along V the surface of the ground and then after passing the vicinity of pulley 11 to raise the fruit upwardlyto dischargein the receptacle 88.

A loading platform 89 is slidably mounted on the angle iron guide members 90, 9| onthe chassis of the vehicle and has a ground engaging skid member 94 mounted on its lower end. This loading platform 90 serves .as' a guide for fruit being moved from its engagement with the ground toan elevated position whence it may be discharged into the receptacle 88, but normally the fruit is confined as indicated in Figure 5 by the adjacent fingers I5 on the belt [2 in such a manner that the fruit does not rub against the surface of the loading platform 89'.

If desired, the upper end of the load platform 89 may be provided with an integrally downwardly extending portion 92 upon which. the fruit may roll after which it is released from engagement by the adjacent fingers when, as indicated in Figure 4, the annular spacing between the fingers as the belt travels around the pulleyv Hi. In the event that some Of the fruit remains held between the adjacent fingers,v the fruit is removed by engagement with the stripper fingers -93 attached to the framework [3 with their free ends extending between the adjacent rows of fingers 15 on the belt, In other words, adjacent fingers I5 on the belt are automatically opened to release any fruit held therebetween but in the event that the fruit is too large or remains stuck between the opened fingers it is removed by the stripper fingers 93'which serve to deflect the fruit onto the downwardly extending portion 92 of the loading platform, from where it mayroll i-nto the receptacle 88. Y e r .ably mounted in the angle iron guide members whence it may be removed as a unit by pulling upwardly on the downwardly extending portion 92 of the loading platform 89'. Preferably, the lower end of the platform 89 terminates in a resilient ground engagingportion 94. The loading platform 89 may be mounted in other-manne'rs as indicated, for example, in the modified arrangements shown in Figures 22 and 23 which are described later.

The fingers I5 equally spaced in rows on the belt 12 may take different forms and shapes as shown in Figures 8 through 17, inclusive. In all of thesearrangements the fingers are of resilientmaterialand deformable to allow engagement with the fruit without producing damages 7 theretoylt is;hoted that these fingers do; not touch the ground but are mounted for gradual approachnto the ground as described in Figured cated in Figure 5 wi-thout scraping the surface .of the loaded platform 89.

In all cases, the belt I2 is preferably of resilient material such as sheet rubber whereby its inherent flexibility may add to the flexibility of the fingers.

In "Figures 8 and 9 the resilient fingers I5 comprise a cylindrical rubber element 91 reinforcednby .a springy centrally disposed metal member 98 which extends outwardly from the belt to a point 98, a distance less than the full length of the rubber element 91. This metal reinforced member 98 has a conical base I arranged to be fitted into a conical recess in the barbed supporting base IDI. This base member Ifil has the annular barb I02 arranged to engage and securely fasten therubber tubular member 91 when the annular fastening cap I03 is threaded into positionindicated in Figure 8 and riveted to the belt I2 by rivet I04. Also, the base member IOI has an enlarged portion I06 through which the reinforced member 98 passes to allow freedom of movement of the member 98 which is supported as a cantilever- In the arrangement shown in Figure 10 the f In'the arrangement shown in Figure 11, the

base'of the cylindrical resilient member II3 is cylindrical for cooperation with the cylindrical fastening member H4 which in turn is riveted to the belt I2. Instead of the conical opening as in Figure 10, the opening in Figure 11 for reception of the enlarged base of the-metal reinforcing member H is cylindrical. The finger H3 is assembled onto thebelt I! in Figure 11 by 'first'inserting the reinforcing member -II5 into the resilientimember II3, threading the cylindrical fastening member IIII over the base of member H3 and then riveting the fastening member IM to the belt I2.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 12, the base of the resilient finger 91 is bulbous in form with a conical opening therein as shown in Figfure and the assembly comprising members 97 and IIIl is replaceably mounted on the modified fastening member I I IA by providing screw threaded closure member I I IB having an external threaded portion in engagement with the internal threaded portion of the fastening member IIIA.

.Thus, if it is desired to remove the assembly 91 and I I0 in Figure 12 for replacement or repair purposes the closure member I I IB is screwed out and the assembly 91 and III] is pulled out of its socket formed by the internal bulbous surface of the base member I I IA which in turn is fastened in permanent manner as,, for example,

.Ingthe arrangement shown in Figures 13 and .16 the resilient finger member IZI has an oval shape with the minor axis of the oval in the direction of belt travel as indicated by the arrow I20. This oval resilient finger member I2I has centrally located therein and extending a distance slightly less-than the length of thefinger member I2I a reinforcing resilient strip member I22 having its base welded to;the fiat strip member "I23 which in turn has spaced apertures therethrough for the passage of a fastening rivet. These fastening rivets pass through the oval base member 423 and belt I2 to secure the assembly thereon.

In Figure 14 the finger member I5 comprises a resilient finger member I25 whichis fastened. for example, by vulcanization to the rubber belt I2. 3 a

In the arrangement shown in Figure 17, the finger member I5 is fastened to the belt I2 in thegmanner shown in Figures 10 or 12 but in this arrangement the finger member I5 is tapered.

While I have shown a removable slidably mounted loaded platform 89 in my preferred embodiment the loading platform 89, as shown in Figures 22 and 23, may be pivoted to the framework I3 at its upper end with its lowerend mounted in adjusted position on a supporting ground engaging roller structure. Thus, instead of the loading platform 89 sliding up and down in the frame to accommodate itself to the varying dips and humps on the ground surface as indicatedin Figure Fl, the same result may be obtained'by pivoting the loading platform at its upper end with its lower end allowed to move on an are as indicated in Figure 22 to achieve the same purpose.

In Figures 22 and 23 theloading platform I40 is pivotallyconnected to the carriage with ground engaging rollers I4! rotatably mounted thereon through an adjustably positioned link member I42 having its upper end pivotally connected at I 43 to the loading platform MIL, An intermediate portion of the-platform is apertured at I 54 for an adjustable fastening pin I45 which during adjustment may move in the arcuate aperture I44. Thus, the lower end of the loading platform I55 may be mounted in different adjusted positions with respect to the ground by unfastening the locking screw I45, rotating the link member I42 with respect to the loading platform I40 and then fastening the locking screw I45 in place.

Figures 20 and 21 are views similar to views shown in Figure 4 exemplifying other modified arrangements. In Figure 20 the fingers I5 on the endlessbelt I50 approach the ground in a manner similar to that shown in my preferred embodiment in Figure 4, but in Figure 20 the fruit is raised by a separate independent conveytically adjust itself for varying ground conditions in the 'manner indicated in Figures 22 and23.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 21, the

m e? lli-f L-h fl fia l 'i di i where: it eprevents acbox from olling from the 31 5 14 find-9.1. 1 1 I l-.1Q: i are the same from the harvester the operator places his foot on the t gegdle I85 and shoves the box to the left whereupon it is free to move from its normal' position on the rollers l8! to the ground. Q e l 3;

The front end of the harvester as shown in Figures 1 and 2 has mounted K iii {means 2M ZOI -0n op'pp te' sii'des thereof for the purpose of guiding fruit or propelling fruit iii-to a position for engagement with then I 5 611 belt I2 and also touefi t fruit the 'path of movement oftheha vester w ti bfywhich--it may otherwise be V This ifriiit guidin means -Ep llj glll pref sag V-sh'gped nose 'asindic A fingers 292 equally spaced on the su po deserts-51m its length estend ing down t the direc't'ionof the ground but not tough ing the gi-pmia; The finger ti be pivotally mounted on t e h 'rves ter vehicle with its forward end held ove the groufid by its skid inember; 205 which, of c u'rse; folldws irregularitiesin the terrain to ntai'n the ends of fingers 211? a predetermined d1s an e state the surface of H While many different types or "to use that Zine-shown in r'i tgr x t e emes; 64 pivotally mounted on pirrfiyl on the manually operable U-shaped frame 66 has a gravity actuated combination cam member 643 pivotally mounted thereon adjacent the abutment 64C with a forward cam extension 64D.

The abutment 64C is arranged for releasable cooperation with the laterally extending pin '63 as explained previously to move the wheel axle 54 in Figure 2 in the direction of the arrow 58 to effectively alter the position of the vehicle chassis with respect to the ground.

Figures 2 and 6 show the relative positions when the U-shaped manually operable member 66 is latched in its forward position by engagement of the abutment 640 with pin 63. When it is desired to unlatch the U-shaped member 66 from engagement with the vehicle wheel axle moving means the U-shaped member 66 is initially pushed forwardly and then allowed to assume its rearward position. In such case the thereon ;guid- .dly

steeper when the frame member 2m is lowered" 1 5 1 3: he ebretp t p s ti n whe erh; a sie t A a ai othe en tan l e v etnevre it e ch s a s s a whi h h -en lessib ti o or 5: he ..s cund, istoia m r ancetandan le; ndicate tb ithe letter A in: i u e e bui in a ord nce, w h t the pre en I ion maybe an angle whose tangent i .143 pr-fo ima ely i .eiI-nethc modifiedestru u sh wn :in Fieu the end1ess.-:-be ssi -over..-pu1leys; e. 1.8: is mounted vforjvverticaladjustment b sup; porting the-shafts of-such pulleys J6, l1 an l8 ona movable -.1frame:,members200A; WhiQhTiSi'QO lf nested-by the-parallelogram adjustingvmechanism 201A ,to the chassis-202A, The movablerfrfime member-.wZQUA hasits plane-parallel topthe plane of. theieround and-.i's adjustable in the vertical direction; upon; ananual= operation! of thegpivoted lever-member 253A, thealeverr member 203-; being pivotal1y.:mounted on the chassis: ZOZAandahaWE ing-.an intermediate point thereon pinoonnected toonecendpf arthrust rod.2 04 A which has. its other.end..pin connectedito "the parallelogram adjusting mechanism 20l1-A. ;.,IIhe springubiased latching member 2ll5Aflcooperates.With1the:gear 206A On-GhaSSiS-=2n2A t0 maintainethellever=203A and frame member 200A sin ad'justed 'position "It 5 is apparent that upon-movement of'lthe 1eVen203A the..belt "4 2S may. :be adjusted vertically.- without altering the angle at'which it approaches the ground. u: In the t modified-arrangement shown Mini-Figure 25,;vertica1l adjustment oftlie belt I 2 with respect to {the aground isobtained by pivoting the-welt as a u-nit -about the axis of' 'the shaft of 'pul1ey*I8-.

Thejshaft's o f pirlleys Hi, I land 8.areijourna-1ed for rotation in) the rigid triangular- -member -i It;

the aforward 'endof the frame member 2 l0 being supported on---the-bearing ember 212' on the vehicle chassis 2 l3 while 3 the rear end of the triangular shaped frame ZI-Q iS-heId-in vertically adjustable jaosition on the chassis- 2;l3- by adjust-e ent screws- 2l5 ;which pass throughtapered openings in-extensions lit and {2 I1 respectivelyon chassis-2 I 3 and on fr'ame membe'rii-l 0; #Upon manual rotation of the ad'justingscrew 245-,--the rear end of the frame 2H3 is raised or lowered and pivots about the shaft of pulley I 8. This adjustment allows relative movement between the belt l2 and the ground and also results in a change in the angle at which the belt [2 approaches the ground, the approach angle being The loading platform 89 in Figure 4 is preferably constructed as shown in Figures 26, 27 and comprises a plurality of horizontally extending resilient tubular elements 220 whose opposite ends are maintained in spaced parallel frame members 221, 222. These resilient tubular elements 220 are preferably of rubber with spaces 223 therebetween to allow stones, clods of dirt and similar articles to fall therebetween as the fruit harvested is being raised. These rubber elements 220 are preferably maintained in this 1 1 stretched position in the modified conical seats 225 on the frame members 221 and 222. These resilient tubular elements 220 have enlarged ends 220A adapted to be snugly received within the seats 225 and may be inserted in position by placing one ofthe enlarged ends 220 in one of the seats 225, stretching the rubber element 220 in its longitudinal direction until the other enlarged end 220A thereof is positioned for insertion into the other seat 225 after which the force stretching the rubber element 220 is released to allow the stretched end to snap into position in the seat 225.

*It will be appreciated that the endless belt l2 may find utility in other arrangements, for example, in the arrangement shown in Figure 28 wherein fruits of different sizes initially placed on the conveyer belt 230 and traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow 23l may be graded in size. For this purpose, the belt 12 is positioned so that in its travel in the direction indicated by the arrow 232, it approaches the plane of the endless belt 230'at an angle of about 8 or less whereby the fruit of larger diameter is initially contacted by the fingers I to cause its deflection in a transverse direction upon engagement with the stationary fruit guide members 235, 236, 237, 236 and 239, as the case may be, depending upon the size of the fruit. In other words, fruit of largest diameter iscontacted by the fingers l5 and the stationary guide 235 to propel and direct such fruit in the general direction indicated by the arrow 240, while fruit of smaller diameter passes over the guide member 235 and is directed by the guide member 236 in a direction generally parallel to the direction indicated by the arrow 240. It is noted that the guide-members 235 extend in a direction nonperpendicular to the direction of belt travel indicated by the arrow 23! and since the belt 12 gradually approaches the plane of the endless belt 230, it may be desirable to tilt the plane of the belt I2 at its lowest point of travel with respect to the horizontal by tilting the axis of the shafts of pulley members l6, l1- and 18 with respect to the horizontal. In such case, the tilting of the shafts of pulleys l6, l1 and I8 is related to -the angle at which the guide member 235 is placed, so that when the ends of guide members 235 are at the same elevation, the ends of fingers immediately adjacent the member 235 are at the same distance therefrom.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a'machine of the character described, a vehicle, an endless belt having fruit engaging means movably mounted on said vehicle, the path of movement of said belt being parallel to the direction of movement of the vehicle, means arranged to drive said belt at a greater linear speed than the linear speed of said vehicle and a pair of forwardly disposed arcuate fruit guiding means comprising a plurality of downwardly extending elongated inherently resilient fingers arranged to guide fruit in the direction of said belt,

2. In a machine of the character described, a framework, an endless belt having elongated inherently flexible article engaging means mounted on said framework for movement in a predetermined path and a loading platform extending parallel to a substantial length of said belt, said platform extending forwardly and downwardly and being mounted on the framework with its forward end movable in accordance with height variations in and on the ground, said platform being slidably mounted in guides on the framework through which the platform may be withdrawn from the framework as a unit.

EDMOND R. DOAK.

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Lee Oct. 4, 1949 

